The world-building of this book was so incredible and holds so much potential for the rest of the series. I can't wait to see how much the world expands and deepens in book 2!

Astraea is suchhhh a fun FMC to read from. The character development, the deconstruction, the angst.... AHH!

I, too, wished I was dying while slogging through this book.

Oof, don't be influenced by pretty covers. This book was simply not good. The writing was all over the place, making the storyline confusing to follow. It felt like the author wanted to throw in every trope and cliche line possible (I think I read "who did this to you" at least 10 times). Unfortunately, these things only work when there is structure to support it. There were so many things happening at once and not in a "I can't keep up" kind of way, but more of a "wtf is the point of this". It was like an AI spit out all the things that could possibly be in a romantasy book and the author felt she had to find a way to include them all. It was also incredibly predictable. I knew what was going to happen from the beginning and really didn't have any surprises. And for the cherry on top, why did the female main character have to be so dumb?? It was painful to watch her journey.

I unfortunately did not like this book at all and will not be continuing the series.

2/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this! Vampires and deadly trials? Yes please! This book has a lot of detail so I can see for some it might be better reading physically rather than as an audiobook. I had to rewind a few times myself. Otherwise I really enjoyed the narrators and I was captivated by the story!

Somewhere between 3.5-3.75 stars

I picked this book up on a whim on Netgalley when I saw it available as an audio. I had seen it here and there posted about as an indie book, and now that it’s going trad I figured I’d give it a go. Overall, I enjoyed the book and think it can become a solid romantasy series. It wasn’t my favorite, but I think part of that comes from me doing it solely on audio and usually I like to have a physical/ebook copy of a fantasy available to me when I’m doing it on audio so I can follow along or refer back to parts I need refreshing on. Due to doing it fully on audio, there were times I missed things, or got confused, and wanted to skim back in the book but couldn’t easily do that. I think that is more of a problem with format than with the book on it’s own, which is why this one isn’t quite a 3.5. I think had I read it as a mix of audio and eyes, it would be more 3.75-4 range for me!

Now to get into more specifics! The world building, magic system, and political nature of this book I think will definitely be something impressive <i> down the line </i>. It seems to have a mix of everything with vampires, fae, celestials, potentially even dragons?!? This first book has the reader in a bit of a state of confusion for a lot of it when it comes to these things. The FMC has no memories of her life before she was rescued a few years ago, so the reader is learning more about the history of the world and her past through her experiences. This means we get snippets here and there and it is more flushed out as we go. I think in the next books coming up, we will get a lot more detail and explanation and this can really expand and become excellent. For right now it has potential, but I will admit, this was part where doing it solely on audio was frustrating. I would have liked to have marked these moments to refer back to them as she learns more so I could understand it better. But I do think this will get really good really soon!

With that, I think some of the pacing of this book was a little off for me. There is a lot that happens, so there are moments when it feels slow and then when it feels like everything is happening at once. There is also a LOT that happens in the book. Reflecting back on the plot I was like, wow there were like 3 books worth of things that happened here. Again, being on audio I sometimes lost where there characters were or what they were doing, so I might recommend this as a dual audio/eyeball read or just as a physical read unless you can REALLY pay attention while doing audio.

I found the characters to be intriguing and I’m excited for more of them in the next books! The FMC is a woman who begins in an abusive relationship and this is something we deal with throughout the book for her. I actually really appreciated this storyline of learned helplessness and her overall feelings towards the man who did this to her. She dealt a lot with trying to figure out if he loved her and if she loved him and what it meant in the context of what happened. I think it was really well done and gave the FMC more depth. There is a lot of mystery with her past, but it was a bit predictable (although given the genre and tropes used, it wasn’t an upsetting predictability. Just typical “chosen one” type vibes.) I have a feeling we will get a lot more answers about her in book two, as much of who she is and her story was a mystery until the very end. We also have a shadow daddy MMC who is full of secrets. They had a lot of chemistry throughout the book and I found his story to be intriguing but also highly predictable. It’ll be fun to see where the story goes for these two in the next book!

Overall, I found this to be a pretty solid first installment of a series that I think will have a lot of potential. It has me intrigued and I think if I did a reread of the book physically before book 2, a lot of my initial issues with pacing and world building might be a little better. I’d recommend if you’re looking for a new romantasy series that has potential for greatness!

i DNFd at 29% i tried so hard to get into it but the plot was all over the place which i usually love but not right off the bat…the characters o did enjoy tho and the narrators as well
dual pov…yaaaay
how eve i kept getting lost and felt like i had to drop everything to try and follow along. 4 stars because the narrators really brought life to it

i truly wish I could find the words to describe this story, because it is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES. if there is one thing i love its a book that keeps you on your toes, and while this book can be a bit confusing at times; I had to reread a few pages and sections, but i like to affectionately call this book 'puzzley'! it all slowly begins to fall into place in the end and i was having SO MANY little ‘omg’ moments. Additionally, I have already read the physical book and so this audio was SO GOOD. I already love this story, chloe’s writing, and the characters; but this audiobook was a solid 11/10. there’s dual narration and they do a FANTASTIC job of portraying both Astrea and Nyte EXACTLY how i envisioned them while i read the book. a lot of times i’m scared to listen to an audiobook if ive already read the text version in fear of the narrators just not doing the characters justice, but that was not the case, they totally hit the nail on the head.

“When falls Night, the world will drown in Starlight.”
3.5⭐️ book
4⭐️ audiobook because the narrators were 👩‍🍳 💋

✔️Rich World Building
✔️Vampires, Fae, Gods, and Humans
✔️Mysterious, in the shadows MMC
✔️Strong FMC
✔️Forbidden Romance
✔️Dual POV
✔️Lost Memories
✔️Deadly Trials

The audiobook has multiple narrators!! The narrators really nail their characters, bringing the story to life. I love that each character has their own male and female voice actors—it makes everything feel way more immersive. The book gives off vibes of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue mixed with Trial of the Sun Queen.

I’ll admit, it took me a bit to get into the story. It has a great hook, but the pace is a bit too slow in first third of the book. After that, though, it picks up, and I found myself constantly needing to recharge my headphones to finish the audiobook!

Astraea is such an inspiring main character. She’s strong and determined, not letting the grief of her past or her tough present hold her back. Like a “caged bird,” she fights for her freedom and her found family, even when everything goes wrong. I felt for her as tragedy after tragedy struck. But she’s resilient and brave, diving into deadly trials to protect her kingdom.

Then there’s Nyte, the morally gray love interest. He’s mysterious and definitely alluring. I loved the scenes with him the most—they kept me hooked!

Overall looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook via NetGalley.

I wanted to like this book. The synopsis had so much promise. It had a lot of potential for world-building, different creatures and gods, and a cool magic system, but I felt like we got a minimal explanation for any of those things.

I did not find the FMC or MMC likeable. They had no chemistry to me. Basically I just felt like the FMC became obsessed over this mystery man she had a 2 minute encounter with. I swear for 60% of the book I thought she was hallucinating.

The saving grace in this book to me were the side characters. I found the other contestants, Astrea's best friend, and even the servants far more interesting than the two leading characters. I think that was the driving force for me finishing this book.

Definitely a different plot than typical fantasy that I’m used to but I really enjoyed it. It was a little hard to follow at times but over all it was very entertaining and enjoyable and I’m looking by forward to the next book.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The narrators are really brilliant in this audio. They put forth the best acting when trying to voice the characters and bring the emotions from the book.

Astrea has been working for some not so savory people. She is best friends with a noble's daughter. One night she sneaks to see her friend who asks her to go to the trials with her to watch her compete. There are trials that keep the soulless (vampires) out of their city and have peace for so many years. On their journey, things take a wild turn and Astrea has to compete in the trials for her friend.

She hears a voice in her head named Nyte and sometimes he can take shape in front of her where she can see him. He is always helping her, watching out for her and protecting her. When she gets to the trials she finds out exactly who and what Nyte is and where he is at.

This book was excellent with the world building, the emotions I really felt the characters and I really felt the relationship forming as well. I really love me a slow burn!

The Stars Are Dying
Nytefall Book 1
By Chloe C. Peñaranda
A Duet Narration by Corvin King and Jacci Prior
4.5 ⭐️

I LOVED this audiobook. Loved it. The story is complex but easily palatable, especially via the duet narration audiobook. I am a fan of Peñaranda’s An Heir Comes to Rise series. I specifically like how she provides information as the story goes. You don’t know what kind of journey you’re on until you’re knee deep.

In this story we start out with the FMC has some Stockholm syndrome things happening to her – over the story her circumstances change. I really liked how hindsight was 20/20 for her. When things started to feel familiar to her, she’s like hell no, I’m not doing this again, and says so. I liked her the most when she stood up for herself, throw sass around to whomever required it, and had opinions. I’m also not oblivious, homegirl was dense for parts of the story. I’m fairly okay with this for 2 reasons: 1. The magic version of amnesia allows for such things, so it fit the storyline. 2. I think at least some of her obliviousness to her own story is realistic to human denial and self-preservation to one’s mental health.

I think this book is absolutely worth checking out; I specifically think the audiobook should be the primary format to consider reading this one with. I do not think I would have liked the story as much without the audiobook narration. Duet narrations are my very favorite narration style to begin with; King and Prior do phenomenal jobs throughout the book. They give these characters so much depth. The emotional weight given to specific scenes was invaluable to me as a reader trying to connect with this story. Man, I really loved this one – definitely the right book at the right time for me. I cannot wait for book 2 – the audiobook of course with a trophy for the bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chloe C. Peñaranda, and Macmillan audio for this audiobook ARC – all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I knew from the start that this book wouldn't be for me. The writing is very flowery and pretty; many will enjoy this more than I did. I think the biggest flaw in this is the pacing. While keeping secrets does help keep a reader hooked, I found I was sometimes unsure of what the main character was after or wondering if she was actually going to solve any of the mysteries with any urgency. I also didn't buy the romance, finding that they didn't have any chemistry. The world was interesting, but that wasn't enough to redeem this for me.

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this, but I know it will find its audience and will be loved by many.

I had the audio arc for The Stars Are Dying by C.C. Penaranda. This is a story that really has potential but I felt lost and that my questions weren't being answered. Our FMC, does not remember anything from more than 5 years ago. Who is she? Where is she from? Who are her people? How did she come to be here? What are those strange markings on her? These were burning questions for me, but not for the FMC? I could not understand that at all. If you wanted to send her on a quest, was not the quest for her identity enough? Her transition from weak victim in an abusive relationship to fierce is so immediate that I had whiplash. The character development should have built over time, and while I was glad to see her as a stronger woman, it was not handled as well as it could have been. And, yet, I still want to read book 2. I'm hoping it will answer some of my questions and that it will be better. I would love for it to be shorter - this was unnecessarily long, and answer some questions.

The narrators were very good and I would give them 4.5 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and MacMillan Audio for my advance listener copy.

The Stars are Dying by Chloe C. Penaranda is an enthralling blend of epic fantasy and emotion, but the audiobook version truly elevates the experience. Corvin King is a phenomenal choice for the male voice, bringing depth and intensity to the characters, while Jacci Prior’s performance as the female narrator adds nuance and strength. Having previously read the ARC, I was excited to try the audio version, and I’m so glad they chose these narrators. Their chemistry and delivery make this a fantaaaaastic story.

This has potential. But there are detractors. However, the story is interesting enough, and with a few unique enough elements that I’ll give the next one a go. I will say that this one covers a ton of the standard romantasy tropes, which will definitely appeal to some. Fans of the most popular series will definitely see some parallels.

Tropes
- Shadow daddy MMC
- Light vs dark (maybe)
- Deadly trials
- Touch her and die

Of interest
- unsure if intentional, but as the book is told in first person point of view by an amnesiac FMC, we as the reader are just as confused throughout as she is - if intentional, cool, but I’m on the fence actually as to whether it makes me think the author might not be 100% sure about how and where she wants it to go
- While physical strengths did come into play, the trials were more mental than anything and I appreciated that
- a Star/celestial motif that ties into a different kind of being (a change from all the faeries and vampires popular right now)

Which leads into:

My detractors:
- world building (there are multiple kinds of beings, but it all feels kind of hodgepodge and doesn’t seem functionally relevant to the story)
- Very slow to start and for what it contributed to the overall plot, the first third of the plot could have been much shorter and I think certain sections could have been removed completely
- Given that I think certain pieces didn’t advance the plot, I also feel like we didn’t get enough contextual information as to why this world is the way it is and more time could have been dedicated to that

My largest issue and this could be a trigger for some, is huge themes of manipulation and deception (which comes from multiple characters on all sides of the conflict). Multiple toxic interactions between multiple parties.

I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything where I am this unsure of ANY characters’ allegiances and true motivations, and that novelty is enough to have me cautiously curious about the next one.

I will say that the audiobook narrators had good versatility in differentiating between their characters and I had more investment in the interactions between the MCs by listening to it in duet. The forces both pushing them together and driving them apart were palpable, and I think my overall experience of the story was greatly improved by the audiobook format, and directly responsible for my interest in continuing the series.

This book has been on my TBR for far to long so I was excited for the chance to read and review it. The concept was there but the pacing drove me nuts. I felt like the questions just kept piling up but the answers were not there. The first 300 pages I was borderline confused like I was missing something… spoiler alert I was not. I did like the characters and the plot just the delivery was not there. I will definitely continue the series because of the potential.

Always an absolute fave author of mine writing just another phenomenal story that I just couldn't put down! I just ate this one up and instantly wanted to re-read the second I was finished. Everything I need and want from start to finish. This book has been on my TBR forever and to finally prioritize it made me question what took me so long. I can not wait for more.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I absolutely loved the narrators and that the male voiced spoke in the females point of view chapters. I don’t think I’ve listened to audiobooks that have done that that wasn’t a dramatized version. I am curious how this will play out with them being star crossed. I also really liked a lot of the characters written and I look forward to hearing how their stories are told.

Since I did not finish this book, I will not be reading it on any platforms, but since I have to give a rating here on NetGalley, I give it a three star. I am DNFing this book at about 50%. The beginning of this book was a lot more enjoyable, but I will say I did not go into this book knowing that it was vampires and trials. I honestly am just getting sick of those two tropes and am needing a break of them there was also some like odd pacing moments within the book. I did get this as an advanced reader copy and I got an advanced listener copy but most of the time at that point that stuff should be solved. I also just didn’t love some character choices that were made some felt super random and again, some just felt so trophy and I’m just sick of that. I think that if you have not read a lot of fantasy romance books you like this book, but someone who has read a lot. I just can’t deal with the same tropes over and over again.

Narration ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The narrators in this audiobook were incredible. I LOVE when we get dual narrators that work together through the chapters instead of a female trying to do a males voice. It was so much more enjoyable and immersive to have the dual narrators.

The story was tough because there were a lot of scenes straight out of other novels and events that echoed other stories. In that sense it was frustrating because I wanted more originality.
I will say that nonetheless I really did enjoy this story. I think that listening to it really helped to capture my attention regardless of its similarities to many other books I’ve read.
I loved the aspect of celestial and star magic but I felt like there was so much build up and we were left with more questions than answers.
The ending felt like it ended in the middle of a chapter. It ended so abruptly that I was left incredibly confused and so frustrated because give me at least SOME answers!
Although Nyte’s character was like many other morally gray MMC’s I couldn’t help but love him. I really enjoyed his character and all his complexities. I was just annoyed that we were left with so many questions.

You’ll enjoy this story if you like themes/tropes of
Who did this to you
Vampires
Amnesia
Games and trials
Shadow daddy
Celestial magic
Morally gray MMC
Slow burn romance
Secrets
Hidden identity
Betrayal

Similar titles
From Blood and Ash
The Serpent and the Wings of Night

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review